Divided We Fall
by holadios
Summary: The 12th is thrown into chaos when Beckett is accused of murder. No one doubts she's framed...until her DNA is found at the scene of the crime. With Castle's help she tries to clear her name but if she doesn't know what happened, how innocent can she be?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**A/N: **This is just the prologue which begins in medias res. I promise other chapters will be longer. A million thanks go out to my twin soul Melissa for her brilliant beta work.

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><p>When the captain entered the bullpen with a grim expression on his face, Castle knew this couldn't be good news.<p>

"Beckett," Montgomery called. He didn't meet her eyes, instead gesturing for her to follow with a careless wave of his hand.

Castle wanted to catch her gaze, but she averted her eyes. He tried to think of something encouraging to say, something like, I'm sure whatever it is doesn't have to do with you personally. Or, I'm sure that, on the off chance there is some evidence that somehow connects you to this case, it was a lab mistake and I will personally go down there myself to flog the idiot young-in who dared to accuse Detective Beckett of murder.

Or maybe just, whatever happens, I'm here for you.

Beckett closed the door behind her as she entered Montgomery's office. Through the blinds on the window, Castle, Ryan, and Esposito attempted to read the captain's lips.

"I got nothing," Esposito admitted. "Castle?"

"Hmm," he said thoughtfully. "Well, I don't consider myself an expert in the art of lip reading, but I think I can make out a few words."

"Like?"

Castle squinted in his effort to lip-read. "Your…ricochet…is…a…catch?"

Ryan and Esposito exchanged looks. Ryan rolled his eyes and turned back to his paperwork.

Castle frowned. While he couldn't make out the exact words, he could tell that Beckett was growing agitated by whatever Montgomery was saying. When the captain tried to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder, Beckett jerked away as if she'd been burned. She was shouting now, though her words were muffled by the wall. She gestured wildly, and her eyes burned with anger, and maybe – was he just imagining it? – fear.

Suddenly the captain's door flew open and Beckett stormed out. Castle quickly turned away from the window and pretended to be busy with something at his desk.

"Kate!" Montgomery emerged from his office. "Kate – wait!"

"Is that an order?" Beckett said icily.

"No, of course not, but-"

"Then I'm going home." She snatched up her jacket and a stack of case files from her desk. "I can't be on this case anymore_, remember_?"

"You can't leave." Montgomery caught her arm. Castle stood up, watching apprehensively. Beckett tried to pull away, but the captain tightened his grip. "No – no, listen to me, Kate," he hissed. "This is bad, but I can help you. I can't help you if you walk out that door." She shook her arm, but he still didn't release her.

"What's going on?" Castle asked.

"Stay out of this, Castle," Beckett snapped. "And you," she added to the captain, "_let me go._" She wrenched her arm from his grasp.

"Detective!" Montgomery barked as he tore after her. Castle hesitated for a fraction of a second before following them, Ryan and Esposito trailing close behind.

They caught up with her at the elevator bay where she was repeatedly jamming the down button. "Come on," she growled in frustration.

"Kate, please," Montgomery tried again. "I'm not ordering you, but I am asking you, as your superior officer and your _friend_, to just wait a minute. Don't walk out of here."

"You want me to stay?" she challenged. "Then arrest me."

Montgomery blinked. "You know I don't want to do that, Kate."

"And I don't want to stay." The elevator arrived at last and she stepped inside. It was empty. Just before the doors closed, Castle darted forward and followed her. He firmly pressed the doors open button.

"Tell me what's going on."

"Castle!" Beckett cried in exasperation. "If you don't—"

"Tell me what's going on," he insisted. "I can help you."

"Get – out – of – here," Beckett demanded. She began prying his hand that was holding the elevator doors open. "I'm going home. And I don't need help from you or anyone else."

"Please," Castle said weakly. "Please let me help you. Just tell me what's going on. I can protect you-"

"I don't need protection!" she snapped.

"Kate, I swear if you walk out of here," Montgomery began threateningly. He leaned closer and dropped his voice, "I know this looks bad. I don't know what to believe right now. But I know you. And I know that if you're innocent, you wouldn't be storming out of here right now."

She snorted in disbelief.

"Look," the captain tried again. "I want to help you, I do. No one thinks you did this, but if you leave now…I swear to God, Kate, everyone will think that you're guilty."

"Including you?"

He didn't answer directly. "Take the polygraph, Kate. If you're telling the truth-"

Her expression hardened. "_If? _Sounds like you've already made up your mind. And by the way, since when did we stop believing evidence? Since it started showing you what you didn't want to see? That's a load of crap."

"Evidence isn't everything," the captain said.

"It could be a lab mistake," Castle ventured.

Beckett laughed hollowly. "A lab mistake they checked three times? Face it, Castle. You're going to need a muse for Nikki, because my DNA was found at the scene of the crime."

Castle was stunned. "But – what – you?" He looked at Montgomery, who simply stared sadly at Beckett. Castle was so distracted by this news, he didn't feel his pressure on the button going slack, or Beckett's hands forcing him to relinquish the button at last.

"Now get out of here!" Beckett shouted at him as she bodily shoved him out of the elevator. Castle stumbled back into Montgomery as the doors slammed shut. He threw his weight against them, but it was futile.

Kate Beckett was gone.

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><p><strong>AN:** Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed. Please review!


	2. Eight Days Earlier

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing you recognize.

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. I'm sorry there was such a long break between chapters, but I was abroad. However, I have all the chapters through six written and beta'd so updates should be pretty quick.

**A/N:** Thanks to Melissa for being an amazing Chamberdon shipper.

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><p><em>Eight days earlier…<em>

"Bottoms up, boys!" Castle announced as he brought another round of drinks to the table. "This one's on me."

"Cheers!" Ryan and Esposito called as they clinked their glasses together. Beckett rolled her eyes.

"You realize we have work tomorrow, right?" she reminded them. "I'm not dealing with your hangovers. Or cleaning up any vomit."

"Stop worrying," Ryan said lightly. "This frat boy knows how to handle his booze."

"Please tell me you're not talking about yourself," Esposito ribbed him.

"I can get you a drink too, if you like," Castle offered her. "I know the guy who owns the place."

Beckett glanced around at the other bar-goers crowded around the high tables at The Old Haunt. She leaned forward. "You don't say."

"As a matter of fact, I _do_ say." He grinned. "What'll it be?"

"Castle, no," Beckett responded. "I've had plenty for one night."

"If by 'plenty' you mean 'two' then I suppose that would be right. Come on, indulge yourself. That autographed copy of Nikki heat just raised five thousand dollars for charity."

"Your mother was the highest bidder."

"All the same," he said with a wink. "Still going to charity, right? The Children's Hospital at NYU thanks us for our generosity."

"It was the Children's Hospital at _Columbia_," Beckett corrected him. "And I think you've had quite enough to drink." She pulled out the flimsy red straw he had been using and put it down on the table, holding his half-empty glass out of his reach.

"Bro, there are better ways to swap spit than that," Esposito pointed out. Beckett threw the straw at him.

Esposito was about to retaliate when Beckett suddenly exclaimed, "Ouch!" Someone had slipped on the slick bar floor and careened into Beckett. The drink she had been holding for Castle splashed all over her.

"I'm sorry!" the thirty-something guy who had crashed into her apologized. "This floor is so slippery – can I get you a napkin or anything?"

"No, it's fine," she replied. "We've got plenty of them here." She gestured to the napkin dispenser at the center of the table. She grabbed a handful and began dabbing at her dress .

"Oh, right," he said sheepishly. "I'm really sorry...Listen, let me make it up to you. I'll buy you another one. What are you having?" He peered into the bottom of the glass. "Was that Scotch?"

"Oh – no," Beckett said. Behind her, Castle raised his eyebrows and exchanged a glance with Ryan and Esposito. "No, I'm really fine."

"I insist," he said. "Please, on me." When she continued to hesitate, he added, "In exchange for the dry cleaning bill?"

"That really won't be necessary," she responded. "I'll just throw it in the wash when I get home. Besides," she added, with a sideways glance at Castle. "I know the guy who owns the place. Drinks are already free."

To Castle's surprise and annoyance, the man failed to recognize the dismissal. Instead, he smiled. "Then humor me?"

"Um…okay," she conceded with a smile. "Just one drink." She stood up from the table, leaving the now-empty glass next to Castle. As she leaned over to replace the glass on the table, she whispered in his ear, "Behave."

"Yes, dear," Castle called to Beckett's retreating back. She didn't respond.

Despite the drinks he'd had that night, Castle suddenly found himself more alert as he watched Beckett and the man approach the bar. He ordered a drink for her and then another for himself. Castle frowned. Something about the man seemed off – though maybe it was because this was a bar, after all, and anyone who bothered showing up at a bar on a Wednesday night clearly had nothing better to do and had, by default, to be a little off.

Beckett said something to the man and then walked off in the direction of the ladies' room. The mystery man continued to wait for their drinks at the bar.

"What do you say, Castle?"

"Huh?" He turned back to Ryan and Esposito, completely oblivious to the fact they'd been having a conversation without him while he'd been watching Beckett at the bar.

"We were talking about team poker," Esposito informed him. "You and me, versus Ryan and Beckett. Your place, high stakes. What do you think?"

"It's a school night," he pointed out. "I don't want Alexis to be up late watching us make fools of ourselves."

"Fine, my place then," Esposito said with an impatient wave of his hand. "But then we'll have lower stakes."

"Yeah, sure." Castle clearly wasn't listening. Beckett was back, talking to the mystery man again, drink in hand. He saw her take a sip, staring at the man, who was showing too much interest in Beckett for his personal liking. He also felt a twinge of annoyance that she would drink something paid for by this other man, but not something paid for by him. Or on the house, since he owned the place.

The man leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Castle was surprised when she didn't knee him, but instead giggled a little and touched his arm flirtatiously. The guy then turned and walked away, leaving her alone at the bar with the drink. As she walked back over to the table, she took another sip.

"The prodigal detective has returned!" Castle proclaimed. "With drink in hand!"

"Try not to wet yourself," Beckett replied calmly as she took another sip.

"Hey, Beckett," Ryan said quickly. "We were thinking of heading over to Esposito's place for some team poker. You and me wiping the floor with Castle and Esposito. What do you think?"

"Hmm," she said. "I don't know…"

"Why not?" Castle demanded.

"It's just…getting kind of late, isn't it?" Beckett said. But Castle was sure the lateness of the hour had nothing to do with her refusal to join them.

Esposito apparently agreed. Frowning, he asked, "And when has that ever stopped you before?"

"Well…" For some reason, Castle thought Beckett looked very uncomfortable. "I just – didn't want to be out late tonight, that's all. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow and at least one of us has to be alert and not hungover."

"Poker doesn't make you hungover," Ryan pointed out. "You have to come. We can't play teams otherwise."

"Where are you really going?" Castle wanted to know. He raised his eyebrows. "Are you meeting mystery man at another bar, maybe one more out of the way and private? In a hotel perhaps?"

"Mystery man?" Beckett repeated. "That guy? Come on, you guys. I have standards."

"You're avoiding the question," Castle observed.

Beckett rolled her eyes. "I don't need to justify all my decisions to you, Castle. If I want to go home and sleep, I'll go home and sleep. No need for the interrogation."

"Okay," Esposito said. "We'll just play regular poker, it's not big deal."

Castle wasn't about to give up so easily. "Come on, what are you hiding?"

"Nothing," Beckett replied exasperatedly. But Castle had the odd feeling that she was lying for sure this time.

Beckett sighed. "I really just want to go home, draw a nice bubble bath, and relax and forget everything for awhile. Is that so much to ask? That I want to have some time by myself?" Without waiting for their reply, Beckett set her still half-full drink down on the table and swung her purse over her shoulder. "I'll see you all tomorrow bright and early," she told them. "Don't stay out late tonight."

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><p><strong>AN: **I promise to update soon. Please review in the meantime!


	3. Ancient History

**Disclaimer:** Nada es mio.

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and a special shout-out to the 40 of you (!) who have put this story on alert. I really appreciate everyone reading even if you haven't reviewed.

**A/N:** Brainz Melizzle.

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><p>Castle arrived at the crime scene the following morning feeling like a hammer was pounding his head. The chilly October morning was doing nothing to ease his pain and his coffee hadn't kicked in yet. Beckett smirked at him as he approached. He silently chastised himself for having more drinks at Esposito's the night before. The hangover was killing him. He hated it when Beckett was right. Well, no, actually he didn't. He only hated it when it came at his expense.<p>

"Morning," Beckett greeted him as he approached her. Grinning, she asked, "Rough night?"

"Not bad," he mumbled. Then her perked up, remembering her mysterious disappearance from the bar. Waggling his eyebrows, he asked, "And yours?"

She hesitated slightly before answering, "It was…fulfilling."

"What?" Castle almost gagged on his coffee.

"Oh, get your mind out of the gutter," she said. "There are ways to be fulfilled that don't include _sex_, Castle."

"Indeed," Castle mused as they reached the body that Lanie was kneeling over. "Indeed."

"Took you long enough," Lanie said, standing up. "I've been freezing my ass out here for nearly half an hour."

"Sorry," Beckett apologized. "Slow start this morning." She looked down at the body, which was facedown on the ground. "What do you have?"

Lanie looked at the clipboard. "White male, late-forties or early-fifties. Gunshot wound to the abdomen, but COD is the one to the chest." She pointed to the exit wound on the victim's back. "CSU has been collecting the rounds."

"How many are there?"

"Well, it looks like whoever killed him couldn't get off a clean shot. Last I heard CSU had recovered at least four."

"Murder weapon?" Castle asked.

"None yet," Lanie said. Beckett opened her mouth, but Lanie got there first. "No ID either. There's no wallet in his pockets, though I haven't had a chance to turn him over." Lanie crouched down next to the body again. "I was about to when you two decided to finally show up."

"Do it," Beckett said.

Lanie reached over and slowly rolled the man over onto his back. "Hmm, no facial scars or visible tattoos. Brown hair, clean shaven. Hopefully we get a match on the prints, he looks like a million others in this city."

Castle studied the victim. He did look incredibly normal. His eyes were closed, and the lines on his face were hard. The man's shirt and jacket soaked with blood from the two gunshot wounds, and his hands were red, as though he'd tried to stop the bleeding.

Lanie began to make more notes on her clipboard. "I'll have CSU check the blood on his shirt and jacket, in case there's more than one blood type. Time of death was sometime between ten P.M and two in the morning, by the way." Lanie looked up when Beckett didn't respond. Frowning, she asked, "Beckett?"

Castle looked at Beckett. She was staring at the victim with a strange expression on her face. It was an unsettling mix of recognition and disgust.

"Beckett?" Lanie repeated when she didn't respond.

"I know him," Beckett finally said. "I…He was a suspect, years ago, when I first started in Homicide."

"Do you remember his name?" Castle asked.

"Victor Parks."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure, Castle," Beckett said impatiently. "He was a murder suspect who got away. We liked Parks for killing a woman, one of his neighbors. We got a confession from him and everything, but it was thrown out and the case fell apart. We never convicted him."

"Why'd it get thrown out?" Castle wanted to know.

Before Beckett could answer, Lanie straightened up. "I'll run his prints to be sure. I'll let you know more after the autopsy." She tucked her clipboard under her arm and took off in the direction of her car.

Beckett and Castle walked back to their cars slowly. "You were about to tell me why the evidence was thrown out," Castle reminded her.

She sighed. "The judge felt there was sufficient reason to believe the confession had been coerced."

"_You_ coerced a confession out of someone?" Castle said in surprise.

"I didn't say that _I_ was the one interrogating him," she responded. She kept a straight face, but Castle got the sense she had at least been in the room.

"So we're thinking revenge killing? Someone who felt wronged by the law and decided to take matters into their own hands? A vigilante out to rid the world of acquitted murderers?"

"Maybe we should just start with the murder victim's family," Beckett suggested.

"This murder victim, or the murder victim's victim?"

"Parks' murder victim's family," she clarified.

"That's a lot of victims." They had reached the cars by now. As Castle pulled his keys from his pocket, he turned back to Beckett. "There's something bothering me."

"Isn't there always?"

"Yes," he admitted, "but this time I think it's important."

"What is it then?"

"Why kill him now? Why wait so long before getting revenge?"

Beckett sighed. "I don't know, Castle. But I'm sure you'll have fun figuring it out."

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><p>"Fingerprints confirm the victim is Victor Parks, age 48," Beckett began as she handed out case files to Ryan, Esposito, and Montgomery. "Nine years ago, we arrested him for the murder of Marisa Kane, who lived with her daughter in the same building as Parks. He confessed, but didn't serve jail time."<p>

Ryan glanced up from the file. "Why not?"

"The defense attorney managed to get the confession thrown out, and we didn't have more evidence to hold him on," Beckett said.

"Maybe he didn't do it then," Castle suggested.

Beckett's turned to him. "What happened to your revenge killing theory?"

He shrugged. "Just considering other options. I still don't know why someone would wait so long before taking revenge, so I think we might be looking in the wrong place. Maybe someone only _wants_ us to think this is a revenge killing, and Parks was really innocent."

"He wasn't innocent," Beckett countered.

"Because…?"

"Because he did it, Castle. He was guilty and he confessed."

Castle shook his head. "People confess all the time to things they didn't actually do, especially if they're scared, or trying to protect someone they love. What if he was protecting someone else?"

"He wasn't," Beckett insisted.

"Let's just say that he was," Castle urged. "Then maybe, all these years later, he turns on the person he said he'd protect. Maybe he was forced to keep his mouth shut, and his handler is now dead and no longer calling the shots. And so – wait for it – someone shoots him to keep him quiet about what _really_ happened nine years ago."

Montgomery stared. Ryan and Esposito exchanged unconvinced glances.

"I think you're over-thinking this," Beckett cautioned him.

Montgomery sprang into action. "Ryan, Esposito, track down what Parks had been up to since he wasn't serving jail time for the murder. Beckett, if we're going with a revenge motive, does anyone come to mind as a possible suspect?"

"Kane was a widow when she died, no siblings, but she did have a daughter," Beckett informed them.

"Track her down, question her," Montgomery ordered. "Let me know what you find." He retreated into his office.

Ryan and Esposito turned on their computers and readied themselves for the onslaught of research. Castle looked thoughtfully at the case file as Beckett picked up her jacket and began walking toward the exit. For some reason, he couldn't rid himself of the feeling that this murder wasn't about revenge.

"Castle, you coming?"

He glanced up to see Beckett waiting impatiently for him by the elevator. Hurriedly he grabbed his own jacket and replaced the file on the desk. "Yes, coming!" he called as he raced toward her.

Beckett rolled her eyes. "I would have held the elevator for you, you know. No need to aggravate that headache more by running."

He smirked. "That's so sweet! So you do care about my wellbeing after all?"

"Don't flatter yourself."

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><p><strong>AN:** Thanks for reading!


	4. Memory Lane

**Disclaimer:** I want what I just can't have.

**A/N:** Thanks to all the awesome people who reviewed the last chapter! I know it feels like a lot of exposition right now...but I promise things will begin picking up soon. The prologue happens in chapter 7 chronologically to give you an idea of where we are. All chapters through seven are written and ready to be posted by the way, so we should be out of exposition soon. However, these chapters do contain information important for later...

Thanks to Melissa for being an awesome brain.

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><p>They arrived at a moderately-sized apartment complex. Castle followed Beckett up the stairs after they were buzzed in, struck by how she moved without any hesitation, almost as though she knew exactly where she was going, like she had been here before. When they reached the floor landing, she didn't stop to figure out which direction she should turn to find the appropriate number.<p>

"Have you been here before?" he asked as they made their way down the hall.

"Of course," Beckett responded. "Victor Parks used to live here. So did his victim's family."

Castle could have kicked himself. Now he remembered her saying earlier that Parks' victim had been one of his neighbors. The hangover clearly wasn't doing him any favors. He wished the painkillers he'd taken on the ride over would kick in sooner.

Beckett stopped outside the second to last door on the hall. She knocked twice and almost immediately, they heard the sound of a dead bolt being unlocked. The door opened to reveal a young man in a rumpled shirt, a toddler in his arms.

"Can I help you?"

Castle looked at Beckett, but she appeared momentarily stunned. He felt sure she hadn't expected to see this man there.

"Yes, I'm Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD," she recovered quickly, pulling out her badge and showing it to him. "And this is Rick Castle. Do you know a Jennifer Kane?"

"Jennifer Kane," he repeated slowly. "I don't think so, no."

"And your name is?"

"Kevin Holloway," he responded, adjusting the toddler in his arms.

"And how long have you lived here, Mr. Holloway?" Beckett questioned. Castle could read the confusion in her eyes.

"I guess it's been almost three months now," he said. "I'm sorry, what is this about?"

"Do you know who rented this apartment before you?" Castle asked, trying to make himself useful.

Holloway shrugged. "No idea. You could ask the landlord though. I think his office is on the ground floor." The toddler began to squirm. "I'm sorry, it's almost his nap time. Do you mind if I…?"

"No, go ahead," Beckett said. "Thanks for your time."

The door swung shut. Beckett turned to Castle, frowning deeply. "I don't understand. We pulled Jennifer's driver's license and her current address is here."

"Maybe something happened to her," Castle suggested. "Like mother, like daughter?"

"That's not funny," she said sharply.

"But it could explain the revenge motive…" He trailed off at Beckett's expression. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

"Something else then." She looked at him expectantly. "How well did you know Jennifer?"

Beckett narrowed her eyes. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm just asking," Castle said calmly. "It seems like you were close."

"Where are you getting that from? I don't have a history of making friends during murder investigations, Castle."

He closed his eyes dramatically and crossed his hand over his heart. "Ouch. That hurts. Right here."

"You know what I mean," Beckett said.

Castle raised his eyebrows. "Me thinks the lady doth protest too much." When Beckett didn't respond, he opened his eyes and continued, "Two women, both around the same age, relatively good-looking, but with no men in their lives. Both of their mothers, murdered. An unlikely friendship in the face of loss."

Beckett's eyes flashed and Castle immediately knew he had gone too far. Before he could apologize, another apartment door opened and an old lady stuck her head out into the hallway.

"Detective Beckett?"

They turned around. Beckett's face relaxed when she saw who the woman was. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Grady," she greeted, walking toward her. "It's good to see you again."

"You too, dear," Mrs. Grady said warmly. She shook Beckett's hand with both of her own. "I'm so glad you're here. I'd been hoping you'd come around...oh! You're not here about another murder, are you?"

"No, not another murder in this building," Beckett assured her.

"Good. Dead bodies give me the creeps." Mrs. Grady smiled. "Why don't you come inside, then? I have something for you."

"Oh, um, okay," Beckett said, shooting a look at Castle. "Mrs. Grady, this is-"

"Richard Castle!"she exclaimed. "Your favorite writer –mine too! I'm so pleased to meet you, Mr. Castle!" She beamed as she wrung his hand. "I have all of your books."

"That's wonderful," he replied. "I love meeting my fans." Beckett rolled her eyes, but as they stepped over the threshold, he muttered to her, "Favorite author?"

"Shut it," she hissed back.

"Here it is, dear," Mrs. Grady said, handing her a plain envelope with Beckett's name scrawled on the back. "Jennifer said she wanted you to have this. I would have sent it to you, but I didn't know your address."

"Jennifer Kane?" Beckett asked as she took the envelope from her.

Mrs. Grady nodded. "Why, of course! You remember her, don't you?"

"I do," Becket confirmed, turning the envelope over in her hands.

"How long have you had this envelope?" Castle questioned Mrs. Grady.

"Hmm," she hummed thoughtfully. "I suppose awhile. Months, I think. She gave it to me just after Mr. Cuddles had passed away." She indicated a framed picture of a large tabby cat. "So that was May. So I guess, about five months ago?"

"And was that the last time you saw Miss Kane?"

"Yes, I suppose it was," Mrs. Grady said. "I haven't spoken to her since then."

Beckett's cell phone rang, interrupting their conversation. She listened to the person on the other end of the line, and then quickly hung up. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "That was one of our colleagues. He says he has something for us."

"You're not staying?" Mrs. Grady looked disappointed.

"Not this time," Beckett said. She extended her hand for Mrs. Grady to shake again, but instead the old lady pulled her into a hug.

"I miss seeing you around here, Kate," she said softly.

"I was good to see you, too, Mrs. Grady," she said. She drew back. "Thanks for this." She shook the envelope in her hand.

"Of course, dear, of course." Mrs. Grady showed them to the door. "So long, Mr. Castle," she said, wringing his hand again. "Take good care of her for me."

"Yes, ma'am!" he called after her. "So what's in the envelope?" he asked Beckett as they walked down the hall back to the stairs.

"I don't know," she responded.

"Why don't you try opening it?" he suggested.

"Because it's _private_, Castle," she said. "I'll open it later. Come on, Ryan has something important to tell us at the station."

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><p>"What's up, Ryan?" Beckett asked as they entered the squad room.<p>

"Tracked down Parks' movements for you," he replied. He gestured to the white board, where several dates and pictures had been put up for reference. "It turns out your boy Parks was imprisoned for a robbery eight years ago. He was paroled last year."

"That could explain why no one took revenge until now," Castle pointed out excitedly.

Beckett reminded him, "But that still means he's been free for a year."

"Maybe it took whoever took revenge a year to find him," Castle suggested.

"Maybe," she repeated doubtfully. She turned back to Ryan. "Have you had any luck with prison associates?"

"Haven't started looking yet," he admitted. "I called you as soon as I figured out Parks had been in jail." She nodded.

"Any luck with the daughter?"Esposito inquired.

"The address on her driver's license is outdated," Beckett began. "We visited her old apartment, but someone else is living there, and a neighbor says she hasn't seen Kane's daughter in months."

"Do we still like her for this, then?" Ryan wanted to know.

"I do," volunteered Castle. "Just because her whereabouts are unknown doesn't mean she didn't do it. Maybe her disappearing act was all part of the cover-up for the murder."

Esposito nodded. "That makes sense. Did you get a forwarding address?"

"No," Beckett said. "But the guy living in her apartment now, Kevin Holloway, thinks the landlord might have it."

"Well that's something," Ryan said.

Beckett looked up at Parks' mugshot picture. "Why don't we trade? You and Esposito track down Jennifer Kane's whereabouts, and Castle and I will take the prison associates."

Esposito shrugged. "Works for me."

"Me too," Ryan added.

Beckett took the file from Esposito and put it on her desk. Castle couldn't help noticing that she covered the envelope from Jennifer Kane as she did so.

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><p><strong>AN:** I will update again soon. In the meantime, review!


	5. New History

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who read or reviewed the last chapter. I'm sorry it took me so long in updating...there's really no excuse, seeing as the chapter has been written for a month. But I really promise to update quicker next time.

**A/N:** Brains, Melissa. Enjoy your Caskett moments.

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><p>"Morning!" Castle announced as he strode into the squad room, complete with coffee and bagels in hand. "Uh oh," he added, catching sight of Beckett's face. "Someone didn't go to bed last night."<p>

"Well that's what happens when you keep hitting dead ends on a case." She gratefully accepted the coffee and one of the bagels from him.

"Did the all-nighter pay off?"

"There's one prison associate who looks promising. Parks got into an altercation his first year in jail with this guy named McCullough. Apparently he took his eye out-"

A white slip of paper fluttered on top of the growing stack of files on Beckett's desk. She looked up, distracted. "What is this?"

"Kane's address," Esposito answered as he sat down at his own desk.

Castle snatched up the slip of paper before Beckett had a chance to read the writing. His heart sank when he saw the location.

"Well, did you find her?" Beckett wanted to know.

"We didn't go," Esposito replied. "We thought that you would want to be the one to do it."

"Do what?" She took the paper from Castle's hand and quickly read the address. When she glanced up, Castle could see the pain on her face. "What happened?"

"We pulled some old records," Ryan said gently. "Car crash, three months ago."

"Was it an accident?" Beckett inquired.

"Seems to be," Esposito said.

"Maybe Parks had something to do with it."

"Not everything has to be related to Parks, Castle," Beckett responded impatiently. "Sometimes bad things happen to good people and there's no reason at all." She turned back to Ryan and Esposito. "Did you find anything out about her condition?"

"Not much," Ryan admitted. "She was in a coma after the accident, but she did regain some consciousness. I don't know how lucid she is, though."

"Any visitors?"

"Don't know." Esposito fished a poppyseed bagel out of the bag.

"Okay," Beckett began, "Castle and I will go to the nursing home and find out about visitors. I managed to track down an associate of Parks' who looks promising. His name's Ray McCullough."

"On it," Ryan jumped in.

Beckett picked up her coat. "See you later then." Castle followed her out of the precinct and down to the car.

"Do you want me to drive?" he offered.

She stared at him. "I'm _fine_, Castle." She unlocked the car. "Get in."

He quickly scrambled into the passenger's seat before Beckett could take off without him. He allowed her to drive in silence for a while, hoping she would calm down enough for him to confirm one of his theories. When he'd suspected she wouldn't crash the car outright if he tried to speak, he opened his mouth.

"I was right, wasn't I? About Jennifer, I mean."

She didn't snap at him, which he took as a good sign. "What about her?"

"You liked her."

Beckett sighed. Castle waited quietly for her to answer his question. Finally, she conceded, "Yes. So?"

"Were you friends?"

"You could say that."

"And you met when you were investigating her mother's murder?"

"Yes."

"And she's about your age?"

"Where are you going with this, Castle?"

"I'm just…nowhere. Just thinking."

"You're never 'just thinking,'" Beckett pointed out as she glanced at the sheet of paper again, checking the building's address. "What do you know?"

"Nothing yet," he answered honestly. "I just think it's a strange, that's all."

"What's strange?"

"This. Parks' murder. His victim's daughter being in an accident. We know Parks has been free for over a year—why wait so long in taking revenge, if that's what this is about? And it can't be the daughter who wanted revenge because the accident was three months ago, so that rules her out." He paused to gauge Beckett's reaction, but she wasn't even looking at him. He took her silence as opportunity to press on. "And I guess there's the possibility that I'm right in thinking the accident wasn't _actually_ an accident, which means someone took Kane out, possibly the same person who took out Parks. But that just begs the question: Who would that person be? And why would they want both Kane and Parks out of the picture?"

"First things first," Beckett said as she parked the car outside the nursing home. He got the sense she hadn't really been listening to him. "We need to speak to the doctors and find out more about what happened to Jennifer."

Castle looked over at Beckett. Her expression revealed nothing, but her jaw was clenched and she shut the car door with a little too much force. "And you need to see Jennifer," he said quietly.

Beckett silenced him with a look. He followed her through the automatic doors into the lobby of the nursing home. She drew her badge as she strode up to the reception desk. "Detective Beckett, NYPD. I have a few questions about one of your patients, Jennifer Kane."

The receptionist brushed her bangs out of her hair as she looked up at Beckett. "We can't release any medical records without a subpoena."

"I'm not here about medical records," Beckett responded. "I want to know if she's had any visitors."

"Visitors?" the receptionist repeated. "I can check." She began typing on the computer, a few mouse clicks here, a few more there, and she had an answer. "No." She sighed. "Poor thing. I guess she has no family."

Beckett frowned, and Castle stepped forward. "We'd like to speak with a doctor about her condition, if possible."

"Is this an investigation?"

"Of sorts," Castle answered.

The receptionist still looked unhappy with his response. "I don't know…We're really not supposed to release medical information if it's not an emergency – oh!" she suddenly exclaimed. "What did you say your name was again? Beckett?"

"That's right," she told her. "Kate Beckett."

"Hmm," the receptionist said. "So you were close to the patient?"

"You could say that, yes."

"Okay." The receptionist looked mollified. "It says in Jennifer Kane's records that she authorized medical information to be released to you. I'll see if Dr. Johnson is free to speak with you." She picked up the phone and pressed a few numbers. Castle looked around the lobby, thinking hard. Had Beckett downplayed her relationship with Jennifer?

"Yes, Dr. Johnson will see you now," the receptionist chirped, jolting Castle from his thoughts. "He'll meet you at the room."

Beckett led the way through the immaculate hallways. He could feel her sense of dread as they neared the room. He tried to imagine what it would be like for her, to see one of her friends – he didn't know the extent of their friendship for sure, but suspected they had been close – in such a debilitative position. He wondered how badly off Jennifer actually was. He knew that there could be some variation in the extent of damage, but he wasn't sure what faculties she still had. He hoped for Beckett's sake that she wasn't completely comatose, yet at the same time, he had the nagging feeling that nothing had gone their way so far during this investigation. As they reached the room, he resisted the urge to reach for Beckett's shoulder, to pull her back, say something comforting, or bracing, at the very least.

The door was open, but Beckett didn't immediately enter the room. Sensing her hesitation, Castle said, "I can…wait out here, if you want to go in alone."

She looked at him with a scrutinizing expression, as though trying to discern the subtext imbedded in his offer to stay outside. Finally she shook her head. "No. Thanks for the offer, but we can go in together."

"Okay," he agreed. He let her lead the way inside.

It was worse than he had imagined. He had not seen any pictures of Jennifer, but Castle was sure when Beckett had known her, it hadn't been like this. He was right; Jennifer was around Beckett's age. Dark waves of lank hair surrounded her head, and her eyes, which were directed toward them, seemed not to see anything, or if they could see, there was no recognition that what they were seeing were people, let alone a friend. Beckett inhaled sharply and Castle again found himself forcing himself not to touch her.

"You must be Detective Beckett," a white-haired doctor greeted her. "The receptionist didn't give me your name though," he added to Castle.

"Rick Castle," he said extending his hand.

"Nice to meet you," Dr. Johnson said curtly. He turned back to Beckett. "Maria said you were here about Jennifer's condition?"

Beckett didn't respond. Castle glanced at her and was unpleasantly surprised to see her transfixed on Jennifer's prone form. Before he could say anything, Dr. Johnson said gently, "This must be your first time."

"What – oh, yes," Beckett answered, realizing Dr. Johnson was talking to her. "How did she get like this?"

Dr. Johnson sighed. "It was a pretty nasty car accident. Multiple crush injuries from the impact. Her heart stopped multiple times and her brain was deprived of oxygen for extended periods of time. She was completely comatose for about a week, but after that, she's been in this vegetative state. It's not a coma because she _is_ awake, but she has no sense of her surroundings and very limited neurological function."

"Prognosis?" Beckett's tone was unnaturally cold, clinical, and Castle knew it was because she was doing her best to keep it devoid of emotion.

"Not good. It's unclear whether she'll ever fully regain consciousness."

"So it was an accident then?" Castle asked.

"Well, the police seemed to think so," Dr. Johnson answered, seemingly surprised by Castle's question. "Why? Is that why you're here?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that," Castle told him. "We were just making sure."

Before Dr. Johnson could respond, his pager beeped. He unclipped it from his belt and looked at it. "I have to run. I hope there are no more questions?"

Castle glanced at Beckett to see if she had any more questions, but she just shook her head. "I think that's all for now," Castle said. Dr. Johnson nodded and quickly left the room.

The room felt strangely empty without the doctor's presence. Castle stood still, watching Beckett stare at Jennifer, wondering what he should do. He felt out of place, an intruder to Beckett's grief. Just when he had decided to slink out of the room and wait for her in the hallway, she spoke.

"It was a necklace."

"What?" He walked back over to her.

"The envelope. It contained a necklace." Her words came out slowly, deliberately. "I had my mom's ring, Jen had her mom's necklace. She gave it to me."

Castle longed to ask why, but knew this was not the time for questions. Instead he tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder, and when she didn't move, he tightened his grip.

She surprised him by reaching her hand back and enclosing his fingers with hers.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Expect chapter 6 by the end of the week. It introduces a new character and the beginning of Beckett's trouble.


	6. Under Fire

**Disclaimer: **Wish I owned them, but I don't.

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who is reading along. And thanks to Melissa for beta'ing. Things begin heating up for Beckett!

* * *

><p>They stayed at the nursing home for another half an hour. The ride back to the precinct was subdued, with Beckett presumably lost in her thoughts and Castle working on his latest theories for the case. He wanted to share some of them with Beckett, but she seemed so distant, he forced himself to refrain.<p>

She came alive when they reentered the squad room and saw the suit standing near her desk. Castle didn't know who he was, but Beckett recognized him immediately. Her eyes narrowed. "I thought I smelled a rat."

Ignoring this slight, the suited man walked up to her, hand extended. "Detective King, Internal Affairs. Nice to meet you."

Castle immediately felt a strong sense of distrust, and knew this man could not be good news if Beckett could insult him so openly.

Beckett stared back at him. "Can't say the same." She dropped his hand as quickly as possible. Turning to Ryan and Esposito, who were watching this exchange nervously, she asked, "What is he doing here?"

"He has some questions about the Parks case," Montgomery answered before Ryan could. He stepped out from where he had been standing, hidden from view behind Esposito at the white board.

"Why?" Beckett asked. "This wasn't a cop killing."

"We suspect otherwise," King said coldly.

"Based on what evidence?" Beckett cried in exasperation.

King sidestepped the question, saying instead, "Is there a place we could speak privately, Detective?"

"Like an interrogation?" she countered. Castle could tell from the way that King's brow furrowed that Beckett had hit the mark.

"Just want to have a chat." King made an attempt at pacifying her. Castle didn't buy it.

Neither did Beckett. "No. If you're going to accuse me of something, I'd rather have witnesses. What do you think I did?" Her voice rose with anger and Castle instinctively took a step back.

"No one is accusing anyone of anything." But it couldn't be plainer that this wasn't true. "Your friends can watch from the window. You won't be alone." He made this last remark with something of a sneer.

"Kate," Montgomery said quietly. She looked at him. It was clear what he wanted her to do.

"Fine," she snapped. She threw her jacket down on the chair. "Let's go."

"Lead the way," King said. He followed her down the hall to one of the interrogation rooms. Montgomery waited until they had rounded the corner before tearing after them.

Castle rounded on Ryan and Esposito, who were staring with ugly expressions at the hallway down which Beckett and King had disappeared. "I don't know what the rat squad wants," Ryan said. His voice was low and angry.

"Maybe it has something to do with Parks' murder case?" Esposito suggested. "They want Beckett to list off all the people who were upset that he got off, since the majority of them would be cops. Tell them who to go after next."

"You don't think they're going to accuse her of doing something, do you?" Castle asked worriedly.

"They might," Ryan answered, "but nothing they say will stick. They're just trying to rattle her. But she's tough, she won't give in."

"I'm going to watch," Castle informed them. He wasn't sure if he was allowed, but he was at least going to try. He wasn't going to sit idly by while Beckett was interrogated.

When he reached the interrogation room, he found Montgomery watching intently through the one-way mirror. He caught sight of Castle and gave a small nod. Castle took this to mean he approved.

"How well did you know the victim?" King was asking. Beckett was seated at the interrogation table, her hands clasped together and resting on the surface. King was pacing the room, the way Beckett so often did when interrogating suspects. The change in role did not suit her.

"Victor Parks? Not at all."

King leaned back against the wall, observing Beckett from a distance. "You arrested him for Marisa Kane's murder."

"Yes," Beckett responded impatiently. "But that doesn't mean I knew him. We weren't friends."

"You interrogated him."

"It was my job."

"You got him to confess."

"That, if you haven't noticed, is also part of my job."

King walked back to the table. "Your confession was thrown out. Is coercing confessions part of your job, too?"

Castle felt his stomach drop. Beckett had been the cop accused of coercion?

"I didn't coerce him."

"Judge says you did."

"Doesn't make it true."

"True enough in my book," King said. "And a murderer went free. Someone you knew was guilty. You know what I call that?" Beckett didn't answer. "Motive."

"I didn't even know he'd been in prison," Beckett told him. "Let alone that he was paroled."

"Where were you earlier today?" King asked, changing tracks completely. Beckett didn't let it phase her.

"Running down a possible suspect," she answered.

"Name."

"Jennifer Kane. She was Marisa Kane's daughter."

King smiled, but to Castle it looked more like leering. He finally sat down at the table across from Beckett and opened a file. "You and Jennifer Kane were friends?"

"Acquaintances," Beckett corrected him. Castle immediately sensed trouble.

"Kane's neighbor Mrs. Grady says you two were inseparable," King told her, eyebrows raised. Castle figured he practiced this move daily in the mirror.

"Old ladies tend to exaggerate the truth," Beckett said easily.

"What was in the envelope?"

Beckett stared straight at him as she asked, "What envelope?"

"The one Mrs. Grady was keeping for you."

Beckett seemed slightly thrown by his information, but recovered quickly. "Nothing relevant to the case."

"So what was it?"

"Something personal," she snapped. "I'm done with your questions. If you have something on me, I want to know what it is. Because as far as I can tell, you've got nothing, and I don't have time to entertain your fishing expedition. I'm going to try _actually_ solving this case."

"There is some physical evidence-"

"What physical evidence?" Beckett demanded.

"The blood on Parks' shirt. There are two separate blood types there, two separate sets of DNA. Only one of them matches the victim. The other belongs to the killer."

Beckett frowned. "So you want my DNA."

"That would be a start," King agreed.

"You can't have it." Next to Castle, Montgomery groaned.

"Because it's a match?"

"Because," she began angrily, "I'm not going to condone a witch hunt. You don't have anything so you're here, railroading me, trying to get me to confess to make your life easier. That isn't going to happen. A, because I didn't do it, and B, because I would never give a rat like you the satisfaction." She pushed her chair as far away from him as possible, her arms crossed over her chest. Though she sat still, her eyes continued to burn with anger.

King wasn't perturbed by her outburst. Serenely he closed the file and pushed it aside. Beckett watched his suspiciously; on the other side of the glass, Castle and Montgomery did the same. For a minute, King didn't speak, considering Beckett in silence. Finally he asked, "Where were you on the night Parks was murdered?"

"Out."

"With?"

Beckett gave a frustrated sigh. "My team. Ryan, Esposito, Castle."

His face was an inch from hers as he hissed, "Details."

"We went to a charity event to auction off Castle's new book. Afterward, we went for drinks at The Old Haunt."

"And after that?"

"I – went home."

"Alone?"

"Yes," Beckett answered with a touch of defiance.

"No alibi?"

"I was home alone," she confirmed. Castle saw she didn't look too worried.

"And what time was that?"

She shrugged. "Around 1."

"I see. Now the coroner says time of death was sometime between ten and two. So you don't have an alibi for the entire time of death?"

Beckett stared him down. "No."

"Then, Detective Beckett," King said in a business-like tone, "we're going to need a DNA sample from you. To rule you out as a suspect." She kept her gaze trained on him, but stayed silent as he continued, "Come on, Detective. We all know that no one is crying over Parks' death. He was a murderer. A murderer that you had within your reach. You even got him to confess. But then some judge with a stick up his ass decides the confession was coerced and throws it out. A guilty man goes free. And a pretty young detective would have given _anything_ to get him behind bars." He leaned in for the kill. "And I think it was you."

Castle sensed she had no way out. He looked to Montgomery for confirmation, but the captain was watching Beckett so intently he hardly noticed Castle. Beckett was frozen in her chair. Castle wondered if she was trying to think of an objection to giving them her DNA, or if she would do it simply to shut them up. It obviously wasn't going to match. What was the harm of getting them off her back?

"Fine," she conceded. King looked pleased. Beside Castle, Montgomery exhaled a sigh. Castle wondered if it was from relief, and then, with a glance at the captain, wondered why he would need to feel relief at all if he knew Beckett was innocent.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** The next chapter meets up with the prologue. Please review and let me know what you think!


	7. Salt Meet Wound

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Especially not that freaking awesome premiere (sadly)

**A/N:** Much thanks to Melissa for beta'ing! And all my fantastic reviewers!

* * *

><p>Two days after King's interrogation of Beckett, the man was back in the squad room. Castle watched from his position at the coffee maker, trying to evenly mix his sugar into the liquid, but really clenching the spoon tightly with suppressed anger as King approached Beckett's desk. He caught her eye as she looked up, and was about to rush toward her when her eyes flashed a warning glance. He settled for a slower pace, inching his way back to her.<p>

"It's a pleasure to see you again," King was saying. Beckett snorted.

"Have you come to apologize in person?"

King smirked. "You wish." Beckett rolled her eyes and made to turn away from him. King's hand grabbed her elbow.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. Castle, Ryan, and Esposito all started toward her. Castle was fuming on the inside. _How dare he –_

Ryan held out his arm to stop Castle. When Castle looked at him questioningly, he jerked his head in the direction of Montgomery's office. The captain was standing in the doorway, a deep frown on his face.

King leaned closer to Beckett and hissed something in her ear. Though she kept her face impassive, Castle could see the tension building beneath her calm exterior. What was he saying?

"Detective King." Montgomery was suddenly standing behind Castle. "Why don't we speak in my office?"

"Of course, sir," King said smoothly. He released Beckett immediately and followed the captain back to his office. Beckett waited until the door had closed behind him before tearing down the hall in the opposite direction. Her name died in Castle's throat. Something inside him told him to just let her go.

She reappeared a few minutes later, her face still in the fixed state of calm that Castle felt sure was hiding something. Before he could ask her what King had said (and whether she wanted him to take him out with the old one-two) Montgomery returned. Castle saw King walked down the hallway toward the exit as Montgomery made his way toward his team.

Castle could tell from the grim expression on his face that this wasn't good news.

"Beckett!"

xxx

Castle's hand slammed on the elevator button, forcing the doors open. Beckett's expression was wild, like a caged animal. He had never seen her like this, and he wished desperately that he could help her in some way, wished that there was something, anything he could do…

"Tell me what's going on."

"Castle!" Beckett cried in exasperation. "If you don't—"

"Tell me what's going on," he repeated. "I can help you." _I want to help you. I have to help you._

"Get – out – of – here," Beckett demanded. Her hand landed on top of his and she tried to force him to relinquish his hold on the button. He clenched his hand tighter. "I'm going home," Beckett was saying. "And I don't need help from you or anyone else."

"Please," Castle insisted. "Please let me help you. Just tell me what's going on. I can protect you-"

"I don't need protection!" she snapped.

"Kate, I swear if you walk out of here," Montgomery began threateningly. He leaned closer and dropped his voice, "I know this looks bad. I don't know what to believe right now. But I know you. And I know that if you're innocent, you wouldn't be storming out of here right now."

Castle's insides turned to ice as the realization hit. Only one thing could have happened that would make Beckett so upset, so desperate to leave the precinct. She was running home to solve the case herself, because everyone else was going to follow a different lead, because she was going to have to clear her own name…

"Look," the captain tried again. "I want to help you, I do. No one thinks you did this, but if you leave now…I swear to God, Kate, everyone will think that you're guilty."

"Including you?"

_Never me_, Castle thought.

"Take the polygraph, Kate. If you're telling the truth-"

Her expression hardened. "_If? _Sounds like you've already made up your mind. And by the way, since when did we stop believing evidence? Since it started showing you what you didn't want to see? That's a load of crap."

"Evidence isn't everything," the captain said.

"It could be a lab mistake," Castle said hopefully. He knew it wasn't much to go on, but he felt compelled to say something that would calm her down, give her a sense that not all was lost, that they would find a way out of this, like they'd found a way out of every other difficult position they'd ever landed themselves in.

Beckett laughed hollowly. "A lab mistake they checked three times? Face it, Castle. You're going to need a muse for Nikki, because my DNA was found at the scene of the crime."

_No. _

"But – what – you?"

Even though he'd guessed as much, hearing the words come from her made it so much worse. He couldn't look at her, not wanting her to see the look of bewilderment on his face. She needed to know she could trust him, that he was behind her unconditionally, one hundred percent.

It wasn't until Beckett's hand was underneath his and forcing his off the elevator button that he realized his hand had gone slack.

"Now get out of here!" Beckett shouted as she threw him out. Castle stumbled back into Montgomery as the doors slammed shut. He threw his weight against them, knowing it was futile.

"Kate!" Her name escaped his lips like a knee-jerk reaction.

"The stairs!" Ryan called. He ran toward the staircase, Esposito and Castle right behind him. _There are stairs in this building? _Castle couldn't help thinking.

When they reached the main level, he knew they were too late. They couldn't have beaten the elevator. Esposito went to check if her car was still there, but Castle already knew it wouldn't be. She would have left as quickly as possible. And she would have gone…where?

"Her apartment."

"What?" Ryan said. Castle hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud.

"She went back to her apartment. She's got the case files with her. She's going to solve this case herself."

Ryan looked uncertain, but before he could say anything else, Esposito reappeared. "Car's gone," he panted. "Oh no…"

Castle turned to see what Esposito was looking at. With a sinking feeling, he immediately recognized Detective King approaching them.

"Your captain said I might find you down here," King informed them. "We need to talk."

"I'm not telling you anything," Esposito said. "I'm not giving you any fuel for the fire."

"We're not going to help you frame her," Ryan added.

King smiled. "Good. I don't plan on framing her either."

"But the DNA-"

"—was a match," he finished. "She willingly gave a sample of DNA and it matches the DNA found on Parks' shirt."

"That's impossible," Castle said automatically.

King ignored him."As I understand it, you three were with Detective Beckett the night of the murder. I'm going to question the three of you separately about her whereabouts that night."

"You can't do that," Esposito objected. "_He_'s not a cop. You have no right to interrogate him."

King wasn't impressed by this argument. "Internal Affairs, as you very well know, is allowed to interrogate non-police officers. However…I think we'll start with the two, ah, _real_, detectives."

"Fine by me," Castle responded. It would give him time to track down Beckett and set the record straight. Convince her he was on her side, that he could help her solve this case and clear her name.

"I'm not interested in talking," said Ryan. "I want some answers from you. Not just more questions."

"Ask me anything."

Castle had a few questions he would love answered, but knew this invitation was directed at Ryan. After thinking for awhile, he said, "What else do you have on her?"

"Besides the DNA? Just motive and opportunity."

Ryan considered this. Then he asked, "What can she do to clear her name?"

King's answer was simple. "Take the polygraph."

"How will that help?" Castle burst out. "If you say her DNA's a match, you can't just make that evidence disappear because she passes some machine that says she's telling the truth."

"True," King conceded. "But it would make me look harder at the DNA results."

"You should be looking at them harder anyway!" Castle said angrily. "She's an amazing detective, and you should be on her side. It's almost like you _want_ her to be guilty."

"'Course he does, Castle," Esposito said. "It makes his life easier if she's guilty. Open, shut, one and done, right?"

"I have a limited amount of time," King began impatiently, "and right now Detective Beckett is our number one suspect. So until someone gives me a reason why she shouldn't be, I'm going to continue going after her." He paused, while Ryan, Esposito, and especially Castle glared daggers at him."And if you want to do something to help your friend, you could start by coming back upstairs with me and sitting down for a few questions about where she was the night of the murder."

"Fine," Esposito said through gritted teeth. "My partner and I will play your little game. Let's get this over with."

"Good man." King extended his hand, gesturing for Esposito to lead the way. He turned toward the elevator and stepped inside. King and Ryan quickly followed.

"I'll be here for you when you get back!" Castle called after them. As soon as the elevator doors slid shut, he took off for Beckett's apartment.

He was determined to bring her back.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I'm ending here for now (on a hiatus - read my profile page for more information). This is where the story meets up with the prologue. When Castle the show starts sucking or takes a break, I'll be able to write again. Here's to hoping that doesn't happen any time soon!

Please review if you're so inclined. I'm contemplating several oneshots based on the premiere, but I'm sure everyone and their mother will be writing one of those so...we'll see.


	8. Word of Advice

**A/N:** Nada es mio.

**A/N:** Castle's on hiatus, so now my hiatus is over. Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading and reviewing. Your comments really make my day. I hope you enjoy this latest installment!

Thanks for beta'ing, Melissa.

* * *

><p>He dashed up the stairs to her apartment. Once there, he knocked three times, paused and looked around furtively – none of the neighbors had stuck their heads out yet - and then pounded three more times. Still no answer. He hated how stubborn she could be sometimes.<p>

"Come on, Beckett!" he called through the heavy wood. "We both know you're in there." He sighed and fished his cell phone out of his pocket. She was on speed dial.

"I can hear your cell phone ringing!" he shouted. There was still no response.

He let the phone ring to voicemail and then hung up. He glanced around again and then pounded on the door, telling himself he wouldn't let up until Beckett opened up and talked to him.

He lost count after fifteen, but when he raised his fist to knock again, he found himself lacking a door to pound. "Beckett!" he exclaimed. "Turns out you were home after all."

"Are you _trying_ to get me evicted?" She sighed. "I don't want to talk to you, Castle."

"But I'm here," he pressed. "And I want to talk to you." Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, and he knew she was sizing him up, weighing the consequences of throwing him out of her apartment versus letting him in.

Finally she relented. Castle hurried inside before she could change her mind.

"Are you…" His voice trailed off at the sight of her living room. Case files littered the floor, stray papers everywhere. "What happened?" he asked, treading carefully around the piles of papers.

"Nothing," she said defensively. "I mean…" She sighed. "I was working on – well, nothing." She moved a stack of files from the couch and sank down on the cushions.

Castle hesitated for a fraction of a second, then moved another stack to sit next to her on the couch. She didn't look up as he sat down, but he took the fact she hadn't shoved him off the couch as a good sign. He tentatively placed his hand on her knee. "It's going to be okay," he said quietly.

For a moment he was afraid she would lash out again, push his hand off hers and then push him out of the apartment. But instead she did nothing. Castle found the silence more disconcerting than violence.

"Beckett?" he tried when she still hadn't responded.

"You don't know that," she finally said. "They have my DNA. It's all over."

"DNA isn't everything," Castle insisted. "Motive…opportunity…"

"Both of which I had," she interjected.

"Alibi…"

"Which I don't."

"Kate…"

"Don't _Kate_ me!" Beckett snapped. She leaned back against the couch, shifting away from him. "This is serious, Castle."

"Beckett, I know you're scared, but-"

She scoffed. "Is that what you want me to say, Castle? That I'm _scared_? They have my DNA at a crime scene, of course I'm..." She shook her head, and he saw the anger draining out of her. "I don't know how this could have happened."

"I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation."

She smiled wryly. "Like?"

"Well, you know, there's always your evil doppelganger."

"Be serious, Castle."

"I _am_ serious," he insisted. "Did you know that doppelganger is a German word? It means someone who looks just like you, except they're hell bent on destroying your life."

"I did know what it meant, but thanks for the linguistics lesson anyway." Beckett laughed weakly. "Well, I suppose if we cross off every other possibility…there's always that."

"Yes, there is," Castle agreed. "But I'm sure the real explanation is much more plausible than that."

She smiled, a real one this time. "Do you think I should take the polygraph?"

"Is there any reason you think you shouldn't?"

"I just…" She shook her head. "I don't know. I don't want them inside my head."

"It would probably be best if you took the test," Castle advised. "Just give them what they want and they'll leave you alone."

"Really?"

"Isn't that the advice that you would give to me?"

She smiled, but said, "I think that's what I'm afraid of."

"That I'd give you terrible advice?"

"No…"

"What do you mean?"

Beckett ran her hand through her hair. "I thought I was giving them what they wanted when I gave them the DNA sample. And I was _so__ sure_ that it would come back negative. I had no reason to suspect that it wouldn't. But then it didn't…"

"And you're worried the same thing will happen with the poly," Castle finished.

She looked at him seriously. "I don't want to give them any more reasons to lock me up."

"I can think of one."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah." He grinned. "I've always wanted to have an excuse to visit someone in jail."

* * *

><p>"Please state your name for the record."<p>

Beckett leaned toward the microphone. "Kate Beckett."

"Occupation?"

"Detective. NYPD."

"Good." The examiner glanced at the polygraph. "I'm just going to ask a few basic questions, to establish a base level for comparison."

"I know how this works," she informed him.

The proctor ignored her. "What are your parents' names?"

"Jim and Johanna Beckett."

"Are they still living?"

"Only my father."

"Married?"

"No."

"Children?"

"No."

"Castle."

Castle started and tore his eyes away from the observation window. Montgomery was standing behind him, a stern expression on his face. "You are not allowed to observe."

"Oh – I'm – well, I mean – she told me that—it would be good for research," he finished lamely.

Montgomery's expression didn't change. "I'm sorry, but those are the rules. No one is allowed to observe the polygraph."

"Except her commanding officer," Castle amended, raising his eyebrows.

"But I'm choosing not to." Montgomery gestured toward his office. "Come on. Let's go."

"You believe she didn't do it, though, right?" he insisted as he followed Montgomery back into his office.

"Close the door," the captain said quietly. Castle obeyed. "Now you listen to me. You know I care deeply about Beckett. And as captain, I will defend my officers with my dying breath so long as they deserve my defense."

"You didn't answer the question," he pointed out.

Montgomery held his gaze for a long time. Finally he said, "What I personally believe doesn't matter. But this looks bad for her, Castle. Her blood was found on the victim's shirt at the crime scene. She had a history with the Parks, a personal connection to Parks' victim from years ago. She stormed out of here when her DNA was a match."

"But she's back now," Castle insisted. "She's even taking the polygraph."

The captain held up his hand. "Let me finish." He sat down behind the desk. "Officially, my hands are tied. It's Beckett's decision if she cooperates with the IAB or not, but they'll proceed with their investigation regardless. We have to proceed with the murder investigation the best way we can, which means taking a good look at all possible suspects. We can't let our personal feelings get in the way of us doing our jobs."

"But-"

"Castle." Montgomery glared at him. "I don't think you should be on this investigation. The mayor allows you to be here so you can shadow Beckett. She is no longer on this investigation, and unless you're planning your next novel around a prison stint, I suggest you find yourself a nice room in the Hamptons for awhile."

"But she needs-"

"What Beckett needs right now is to find herself a good defense attorney. Listen to me. You can't help her now. On the record, she's our number one suspect, and you're too close to this to see clearly. I suggest you leave. _Now._" Montgomery gave him a significant look.

Castle frowned. "Are you sure that-"

"Yes," the captain emphasized. "I'm sure that you should go off the grid for a while."

"Ah." Castle read the unspoken direction in Montgomery's face. "I see."

"You understand, of course," he said seriously, "this is for the best."

"No offense taken," Castle assured him.

"Good." Montgomery stood and led Castle to the door. "Have a nice day."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** And thus begins part two, with Castle and Beckett doing what they do best, investigating on their own. I hope to update again soon, but in the meantime, please review!


	9. Helping Hands

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing you recognize.

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed last chapter. I really appreciate all the feedback and support!

Thanks to Melissa for beta'ing.

* * *

><p>Castle paced outside of the precinct for the better part of an hour. After Montgomery's dismissal, he had meandered through the squad room, hoping to run into Ryan or Esposito, but neither detective had been there. He assumed they were running down a new lead and hoped it was one that would prove Beckett's innocence.<p>

He still didn't understand how all the pieces fit together, but he could tell the ones they had so far looked pretty bad. He'd had several chances to ask Beckett what she had been doing that night, but something stopped him each time. He knew there was no way she could have done it, but he got the sense that something was there, something she wasn't telling him…and he was afraid to find out what that was.

"What are you still doing here?"

Startled, Castle looked up. Beckett had just come up behind him. He studied her. She had her arms crossed and there was something he couldn't quite read in her expression. She didn't seem too shaken up, but he sensed that they had put her through the ringer. "I drove you here."

"Oh…" Her brow furrowed. "Right. Sorry. Let's go."

"Go where?"

"I don't know, Castle," she said, and he heard a slight edge in her voice. "Officially, I'm off the case, so…"

"But _un_officially…" he pointed out suggestively. "Back to your apartment? We could go through more of the prison files, see if we can find something on prison associates. That McCullough guy seemed promising."

They fell into step in silence. He didn't think she would say anything else, but then she smiled softly at him. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"For being my partner. Working this case with me."

"You're welcome." He smiled back. "So…" Castle began as they reached the car.

"You can ask me now, Castle," she said pointedly. "I know you're dying to know."

"Oh, well I was – I mean, I didn't want to – well - did it go all right?"

Beckett shrugged. "It's a polygraph. They ask questions, you give the answers, and the machine decides if you're telling the truth or not."

"It'll be okay," Castle said bracingly as he unlocked the car. "After the results come back, they'll-"

"A machine can't change the DNA evidence." Beckett sighed as she slid into the passenger's seat.

"But if you said you didn't do it and the machine says you're not lying, then, that's a good thing, right?"Castle argued.

"I suppose," she said doubtfully. "I mean, it wouldn't be a bad thing. But even if it comes back that I'm telling the truth, I still have to explain the DNA evidence they found on the body because DNA doesn't lie. And if it comes back that I was lying…"

"It won't," he said firmly.

"Well, I'm not sure about that, but I do appreciate your vote of confidence."

"No problem."

Castle waited for her to say more about the polygraph, but Beckett fell silent. He glanced sideways and recognized the pensive expression on her face that meant she was lost in thought about the case. He knew better than to interrupt. Instead he turned his thoughts to the files strewn about her apartment floor, hoping they would be able to find something. There had to be something there, something that explained Parks' death, maybe even something that explained why Beckett had suddenly become the number one suspect.

Castle was jerked from his thoughts when Beckett suddenly spoke. "I saw Montgomery on my way out."

"Oh? Did he say anything interesting?" he asked.

"No. It's more what he _didn__'__t_ say that's interesting to me."

"What do you mean?"

Beckett shrugged. "He didn't ask me if I did it."

"You know he can't ask you that."

"I know…. I just feel like he wants to ask, like he doesn't believe that I _didn__'__t_ do this." She shook her head. "Maybe I shouldn't read too much into it. After all, you didn't ask me either."

"Of course I didn't." Castle grinned. "You would've only needed one round."

Beckett rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Two hours later, they had at least managed to order the files into stacks according to potential relevance to the case. Very few files made the highly relevant pile, but those that had looked promising. Other than that, they didn't have much else to show for their work. The most troubling part was what they hadn't found: something to help prove Beckett's innocence.<p>

"Well, we can look into these guys," Castle said, gesturing toward the pile of highly relevant possibilities for prison associates. "But my money is still on McCullough."

Beckett threw the file she had been reading aside and looked up at him. "What did you say McCullough was in for?"

"I didn't," Castle responded. "File doesn't say. But he _was_ arrested eight years ago."

"Do we know who the arresting officer was?"

"Doesn't say that either. And before you ask, there's no picture in this file—we'd need his arrest file for that information. This is just the report on the prison incident," he said. "The prison incident was written up by Officer Johnson, if that helps."

"McCullough…McCullough…That name sounds so familiar." She paused and held out her hand. "Can I see the file?"

"Maybe it's a former case?" Castle suggested, watching as she flipped through the pages. "It's not that uncommon of a name."

"Maybe." Beckett bit her lip.

"Well, how's this for a theory? We know that Parks and McCullough had an altercation in prison during which McCullough lost an eye. What if McCullough blames the arresting officer who put Parks there in the first place?"

"But what does that have to do with me?" Beckett pointed out. "I didn't put Parks in prison; he was arrested for robbery. I didn't even know he was _in_ prison until we found his body."

"Would McCullough have known that? Maybe Parks had it in for you?"

She shook her head. "No. I don't see that. Besides, injured inmates usually blame their _own_ arresting officer, not the arresting officer of the guy who did the injuring."

Castle raised his eyebrows. "But you're sure the name sounded familiar?"

"Yeah."

"Is it possible you _were_ the arresting officer?"

Beckett's eyes widened. "It's possible. I would need the file to be sure. Eight years…that's so long ago."

Castle raised his eyebrows. "Let's get that file."

"I'll call Esposito."

"And I'll call Ryan." Castle reached for his phone, but before he could dial, there was a knock on the door. He turned to Beckett. "Are you…expecting anyone?"

She shook her head. "Do you think I should-?"

Before she could finish, the knocking sounded again, this time followed by, "NYPD, open up!"

"Hey, that sounds like you!" Castle said. "Very official."

"Shut up," she hissed. He noticed the color was draining from her face. "What do you think they want?"

"I don't know," he said.

But he had a guess. Just not one that he wanted to voice aloud, although he suspected by the reluctance and resignation with which Beckett opened the door that she already knew what he wasn't saying.

There were two male officers standing outside her door, neither of whom was familiar to him. He didn't like the serious expressions on their faces. The one on the left spoke first. "Kate Beckett?"

"Yes?"

"Can you please step outside?"

Castle stepped forward so he was standing beside her in the doorframe as Beckett said, "Can I ask what this is about?"

"I'm sorry," the officer on the right said, "we can't discuss that here. We can talk about it down at the station."

"The station?" Castle repeated. "But you're not here to…?"

"Beckett shook her head. "I think that is what they're here to do."

"But you can't!" Castle exclaimed. "She took the polygraph and-"

"I failed the polygraph, didn't I?" she asked. Neither officer responded. "Tell me."

"We cannot discuss this here," the left officer said. "Please step outside, Detective."

"But how could that – how could you -"

"Castle," she said quietly. She looked calm on the outside, but he could see in her eyes that she was nervous. "It's okay. They're just doing their job." She stepped over the threshold.

"Turn around please."

"Wait!" Castle exclaimed. "I'll meet you down there. Don't say anything – I'm calling a lawyer."

She nodded as she turned her back to him. He watched as one of the officers pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

"Are those really necessary?" he asked indignantly.

"Sorry. Just doing our job." The officer locked the cuffs around Beckett's wrists.

"Kate Beckett, you are under arrest for the murder of Victor Parks. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** In the words of my beta, *commercial break!* I'll be back with more soon, as soon as my muse pulls herself together.


	10. Bailout

**Disclaimer:** Nothing you recognize is mine.

**A/N:** Thanks as always to my fabulous reviewers and readers putting this story on alert. You all make my day.

Thanks to Melissa for being a rock-star beta.

* * *

><p>Castle paced around his loft, the landline cradled between his head and shoulder and his cell phone open in his other hand. He was grateful that Martha and Alexis were out that night because he had been shouting at various people for the better part of an hour. After Beckett's arrest, he had swept up the files and raced back to his apartment to call his lawyer. Despite the late hour, he knew he would be able to leave a message with the secretary if he managed to call before seven. To his surprise, Mr. Dorsey himself had been working late that night and was still in the office when he called. He had promised to be at the precinct within the hour.<p>

As it was, that phone call was the only successful one. His calls to Montgomery, Esposito, and Ryan were being ignored; hell, he'd even tried Lanie but she hadn't answered either. He pressed the redial button on the landline only to have Montgomery's number go straight to voicemail. He supposed the captain had finally had the sense to turn his phone off.

He told himself that, at best, they were all extremely busy working on Beckett's defense. At worst, he suspected they were outright ignoring him. He replaced the receiver for the landline and hit the redial button on his cell phone instead. Ryan's phone rang once before the connection was abruptly cut. Castle narrowed his eyes and looked at the screen on his phone. He was about to try again when the phone began vibrating in his hand.

"Ryan?"

"Castle," Ryan answered, his voice slightly muffled. "I can't talk to you."

"Don't hang up!" Castle begged. "Tell me what's going on."

"I…" There was a pause in which Castle imagined Ryan was fervently looking around the squad room to make sure he was out of Montgomery's earshot. When he spoke again, his voice was further muffled and Castle suspected he had his hand over the speaker. "Things are real bad here. IAB's in with her now."

"Does she have a lawyer?"

"Uh – yeah. The union rep is here."

"Union rep?" Castle exclaimed. "Dorsey from Dorsey and Jones told me he'd be there within the hour."

"Dorsey and Jones?" Ryan repeated. "Who's paying for that?"

"Me."

"Beckett okay with that?"

"She'll have to be," he said hurriedly. "Ryan, what happened with the polygraph?"

"She failed it."

His heart sank. "Failed how?"

Ryan dropped his voice. "Failed as in, how many ways are there to fail a polygraph? Test showed significant signs of deception."

"_What?"_

"Yeah, I know," Ryan said heavily.

"Has she said where she was that night?" Castle asked.

"Uh, I think she's sticking to the original story. Home, no alibi."

"Right…" Castle said slowly. "Well, maybe that's what she lied about on the polygraph."

"Maybe," he replied doubtfully. "But why would she do that?"

"Why does anyone lie about anything? To cover up the truth."

"Which is? Oh crap. Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" Castle knew his time was running out. "I gotta go, Castle. Espo and I need to run down another lead."

"Wait!" he insisted. "Don't go yet. Tell me what I can do."

"Nothing," he answered. "It's out of our hands. Castle, I really-"

"When's the arraignment?"

"Uh – not until tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, probably. She's spending the night in the tombs."

"She's _what_?"

"Yeah – I know – I – I really have to go. I'll try to call you later."

"Ryan, wait, don't-" The line went dead. Castle sighed, the last word barely falling from his lips in the silence.

"Go."

* * *

><p>He had been sitting in the courtroom since it had opened at eight. It was now past nine-thirty, and she still had yet to appear. He lamented the fact he'd forgotten to bring the crossword along because sitting on uncomfortable wooden benches listening to the judge decide bail for each defendant was tedious to say the least. He wished he could say he was at least doing research for his latest novel, but couldn't even say that much, as he rarely wrote courtroom scenes.<p>

"Docket ending 9034. People v. Katherine Beckett. One count murder in the first degree."

Castle's head shot up so fast he might have given himself whiplash. He had tried to prepare himself for this, accept what was happening to her, but nothing could have prepared him for the sight of Beckett, being led into the courtroom flanked by her lawyer and – dare he say it? – a court officer. He was at least mollified to see the lawyer's suit was expensive enough to make him from Dorsey and Jones. When he turned, Castle saw it was Mr. Dorsey himself, as promised.

He finally caught sight of Beckett's expression when she walked to the defendant's table. She froze when she saw him, her stare a giant question mark with a hint of panic and fear. He tried to give a nod of encouragement and half-smiled, but he felt like his muscles weren't working properly. He knew it had to be nothing compared to how she felt. She broke his gaze and turned around to face the judge. It was then that he realized she was wearing the same clothes she had been last night. He immediately felt a renewed sense of fury that she hadn't been able to go home and change, having been kept in lock-up all night.

"I'm sorry to see you here under these circumstances, Detective," the older judge said. Castle thought he sounded sincere. "Let's hear the prosecution on bail."

The prosecutor was a tall black woman, who looked to be barely out of law school. "Your Honor, the defendant is accused of brutally murdering a man in cold blood. She has no family in the city and we consider her a flight risk. The people request remand."

_Excessive! _Castle thought indignantly.

"Excessive!" echoed the defense lawyer. "Your Honor, Detective Beckett is a decorated officer of the NYPD. Her family is blue and thousands strong-"

"That does not change the fact that she murdered-"

"Objection! _Allegedly_ murdered."

"Enough!" said the judge loudly, banging his gavel. "Save those arguments for trial. Bail is set at $250,000, cash or bond." He banged the gavel again. "Next case."

Castle heaved a sigh of relief. A quarter of a million was more than a drop in the bucket, but only by a few splashes. He patted his pocket where he had placed his checkbook earlier that morning before arriving at the courthouse. He tried to catch her eye as she turned away, but her name died on his lips. She wasn't looking at him, and since she knew he was there, he knew that she was deliberately avoiding his gaze.

"Don't get any ideas, Castle."

"Huh, what?" Distracted, he turned around. Montgomery was standing behind him. "How long have you been here?"

"Long enough," he responded. "Come on, it's time to go. Unless you plan on listening to all of the arraignments today."

Castle stood and followed the captain out of the courtroom. He craned his neck for one last glimpse of Beckett, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"You're not going to find her here, Castle," Montgomery said tiredly, although Castle detected a hint of gentleness. "They'll take her out the back way. Sign of respect."

"Right," he said. "So, want to tell me where I can find the bail bondsman?"

Montgomery chuckled. "Brought the checkbook with you, did you? Well, I suppose I shouldn't have expected any differently. I'll walk you. We need to have a little chat."

"Chat? About what?"

The captain dropped his voice. "To see whether you've found anything…of use."

Castle nodded. "We were working on one of Parks' prison associates, Ray McCullough, when Beckett was arrested. He had an altercation in prison with Parks and ended up losing an eye."

"And Beckett's connection?"

"She thinks she may have arrested McCullough. We were going to check that when the officers showed up."

"Okay." Montgomery rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That sounds promising. I'll have Ryan and Esposito run that down. Meanwhile, I need you to go home, get out of this mess."

"Not before I get Beckett home," he replied, raising his eyebrows.

"Right, not before that." Montgomery stopped and Castle saw they had arrived at the office. "Go. Set her free."

"Thanks." He held the captain's gaze for a long moment and then began, "You know…I was thinking."

"Thinking what?"

"About the DNA. I mean, even if we're right about a revenge motive, that doesn't explain why Beckett's DNA was at the scene. Or why she failed the polygraph. Maybe we should take another look."

"It's been checked, Castle," Montgomery said heavily. "Three times. DNA's a match, there's no denying that."

"I know, but maybe…" He sighed. "Never mind.

"All right." Montgomery considered him a second longer, then said, "I've got to get back to the precinct. Good luck with…whatever it is you're up to." He dismissed him with a curt nod.

"Yeah, thanks," Castle said to Montgomery's retreating back. He turned around to the bail officer and whipped out his checkbook.

"To whom do I make it out?"

They told him a name. And then his check was received and they told him it would be processed immediately. He was told she would be released within the hour. He was told to wait. He was told that should be the end of it, at least for now.

But then he watched as that hour came and went without any sight of her. Another fifteen minutes passed before he decided he'd been generous enough in his waiting and approached the office again. He was told Beckett had been released twenty minutes ago, that there were the records to prove it.

The only problem was, Beckett was nowhere to be found.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I've finished the story. There are two chapters left, chapter 11 has been beta'd and chapter 12 is in my beta's inbox. I should have the rest of the chapters posted within the week. As always, thanks for reading and please review.


	11. Search Parties

**Disclaimer:** Nothing from the show belongs to me.

**A/N:** Yay, another update, and it didn't take weeks for me to post it! Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed last chapter. You're all wonderful.

Thanks to Melissa for a spectacular beta job!

* * *

><p>"There she is."<p>

Castle looked at where Ryan was pointing on the monitor. The image was grainy, but he could see it was definitely Beckett; she was looking directly at the camera. Castle checked the time stamp in the corner of the screen; it was about twenty minutes after he had paid her bail. At least he knew she had actually been released. His eyes fell on the figure next to her. The figure's back was to the camera, but it was clearly a man, judging from the broad shoulders and stature.

"Who's that?" he asked.

"No idea," Ryan answered. "But it looks like she's leaving with him."

"But…why?" Castle mused, his gaze drifting back to Beckett's face, trying to read her pixilated expression.

"What's going on here?"

They turned around from the monitor at Ryan's desk. Montgomery's face was stern, his mouth a thin line. "Captain," Ryan began after a moment's hesitation, "Beckett's gone missing."

Montgomery's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, missing? Was she released on bail?" he asked Castle pointedly.

"Yes," he replied. "I paid it immediately after talking to you, and then I stood around waiting, only she never appeared. And when I asked the officer, he assured me she had been released. That's when I called Ryan."

"Yeah," Ryan chimed in. "So I pulled the security tapes, to see where she had gone."

"Did you find anything?"

"Well, she definitely left," Ryan said, indicating the monitor where the security footage was still paused on Beckett and the unknown man.

"How could I have missed her?" Castle shook his head.

"That's not the main hall," Montgomery pointed out. "She must have gone out the back way. More private. It's a courtesy."

"But if she was trying to keep it private," Castle began, "why would she look directly at the camera? I mean, look at her! She's staring right at it, like she knows exactly where it is and wants us to know where she is and when she left."

"What's going on?" Esposito's voice came from behind them. He held out a coffee cup to Ryan, who accepted it gratefully.

"We're arranging a search party for Beckett," Ryan replied, taking a sip.

"A search party? What-"

"No one's forming any search parties," Montgomery interrupted. "What Beckett does or where she goes in her spare time is none of our concern. She's probably back at her apartment having a cold one."

"Has anyone tried calling?" Esposito asked, ignoring the captain's comments.

"Cell phone goes straight to voicemail and she's not answering her apartment phone," Castle put in.

"Now, you listen to me," the captain said forcefully. "Detective Ryan, Detective Esposito, you have other cases to work on. I suggest you work on them. Castle…" He sighed. "I suppose I don't have the authority to order you to do anything. If you want to keep pursuing Beckett, be my guest. But you'll have to do it without the help of the NYPD. Got it?"

"But, Captain!" Ryan protested. "What if he needs back-up or finds something or-"

"I can't justify using the taxpayers' dollars to fund a case that's unrelated to the investigation."

"But…it might be related," Esposito said. "Captain, you know, we _are_ talking about the murder suspect here. She could be doing something, something _bad_, like harming herself or _others_. We have a duty to protect our fellow civilians. We should find out where she is, for the good of the city."

Montgomery snorted.

Then he sighed and said with resignation, "You have twenty-four hours."

* * *

><p>Three hours later, Castle felt like banging his head against the wall.<p>

"So," he said to Ryan and Esposito, who were sitting around his kitchen table, which was currently covered in papers. "It comes down to this. We are reasonably certain that McCullough killed Parks to avenge his lost eye in the prison scuffle. And we know that Beckett arrested McCullough for murder, so that's a reasonable enough motive to want revenge on her, too." He patted the arrest file on McCullough, which confirmed Beckett's involvement in the case. "If we're going with a revenge motive, we can also reasonably assume that he intercepted her at the courthouse after she posted bail."

"Well we can't see his face on the security footage," Ryan said, "so we can't be sure that it's him."

"But that's it!" Castle exclaimed. "McCullough lost an eye, right? So he wouldn't want to show his face on camera because it would make him recognizable. I mean, how many one-eyed ex-cons are there walking around the city?"

"Okay," Esposito conceded. "Let's operate under the assumption it's McCullough, and he forced her to leave the courthouse with him. That would make sense if he wants to confront her."

"But she isn't struggling," Castle pointed out. "So she went willingly."

"Or she was compelled," Esposito offered. "He could have a weapon of some sort, or told her he had a weapon and she didn't want to risk him doing anything stupid in the courthouse. We should operate under the assumption that he forced her to go with him, and that they are currently together."

"So that leaves us with three questions," Castle concluded. "_Where_ would he take her, did he set her up, and if so, how did he get her DNA?"

"He was probably stalking her," Ryan said. "For a while, at least. He would have needed the perfect opportunity to get her DNA."

"But it's _blood_ evidence," Esposito said. "You can't just get that off a fork in a diner."

"The DNA is the least important question right now," Castle said. "We need to find her. Where would they go?"

Esposito pulled the files toward him again. "Driver's license lists a home address in Maryland. That's at least three hours from here."

"He's had enough time to get back," Ryan pointed out. "We should alert the police, send officers to the house to check it out."

"He wouldn't cross state lines," Castle reasoned. "Too risky, too many cameras. Look how he's hiding his face from the camera at the courthouse. He doesn't want to make this easy on us."

"So we're looking for a local residence," Ryan said. "It's going to be some place with meaning. Some place hidden, private…"

"Can't be his old place," Esposito said. "It's occupied by someone else. Can't be the residence of his former victim either, that's also owned by someone else."

"What about other property?" Castle asked. "A storage unit, warehouse, anything else he owned?"

"Nothing else in his name," Esposito responded, flipping through the pages and throwing the file aside. "Damn it!" he exclaimed. "It could be anywhere."

"No," Castle corrected him, "it wouldn't be just anywhere. We're talking about a guy who's out for revenge, who's got a vendetta against the cop who put him in prison. He set her up for murder. He's not going to have his big showdown in any old place."

"Then where?" Ryan questioned. He paused, and then added quietly, "How would you write it?"

* * *

><p>Castle adjusted his bullet-proof writer vest as he followed Ryan and Esposito into the dark alleyway. It had taken him five minutes to come up with his writer's solution, the perfect scene from the standpoint of poetic justice. Castle could still make out the spot ahead where Victor Parks' body had been found almost a week earlier. Ryan suddenly turned, and pressed his finger to his lips pointing to his ear. Castle strained his ears, listening intently. And then he heard it: voices.<p>

"You know this is a bad idea, Ray," Beckett was saying. "The police will have figured it out by now. They'll be here soon."

McCullough laughed. "I like your faith. But you know that's not going to happen. Even if they have realized by now that you're missing, they'll never figure out where we are."

"And why's that?" Beckett's voice became louder as they approached the corner. Esposito quickly glanced down the next alley and then whipped his head back. He nodded.

"They'll have figured out the set-up story by now," she continued. "They'll know why you wanted to take me here. It's where Parks' body was found. You wanted to take me back to the scene of your crime."

"They don't believe it was a set-up," he spat.

"Not everyone believes I did this," she countered. "If it weren't for the DNA evidence, no one would believe it. How _did_ you get my blood, anyway?"

Castle heard him laugh, amused. "I didn't," he replied. "I only needed your saliva. It's so easy that a high school chemistry student could do it." He laughed again, louder this time. "You still don't get it, do you? It's quite simple, really. You just take anyone's blood, run it through a centrifuge to eliminate the while blood cells, and mix in the new DNA. Perfect match. Did you know that white blood cells are the only ones that contain DNA markers? I'll bet your lab never tested the sample for that."

Castle breathed a sigh of relief. The last mystery had finally been solved.

"They'll find out eventually," Beckett challenged. "Especially now that I've been indicted. You know they'll figure it out."

"I know," he said. "But you won't be there to see it."

"Gun," Esposito hissed, raising his own. He turned back to them and whispered, "On my count. One, two-"

The gunshot exploded in their ears.

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><p><strong>AN:** ...and then there was one (chapter left, I mean). I hope you enjoyed, please review! I will update again soon.


	12. The Way it Ends

**Disclaimer:** Nothing you recognize is mine.

**A/N:** Wow, thank you SO much to everyone who reviewed last chapter. That was the best response I've had in awhile and I loved it. Here's the last chapter. I hope you enjoy!

To my awesome beta, who is also my twin soul. I couldn't have done this without you.

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><p>Ryan and Esposito tore around the corner of the alleyway with Castle close behind. He tried to prepare himself for what he might find, but before he could, he caught sight of her. She was crouched against the wall with her arms over her head. It looked as though she had dropped to her knees at the gunshot. Castle noticed the small but unmistakable hole in the wall, barely a foot to her left.<p>

"NYPD! Drop your weapon!" Esposito shouted, aiming his gun at McCullough's back. "Drop it now!"

McCullough turned around slowly, though he didn't release his weapon. Castle immediately noticed the black eye patch over his right eye, hiding an empty socket. Beside him, he noticed Ryan and Esposito tightening their grips of their weapons as they inched toward McCullough. His eyes found Beckett. She had looked up at the sound of Esposito's voice and was now watching the four of them intently.

"You okay?" Ryan called to her.

"Fine," she answered. "He wasn't aiming for me."

"Drop your weapon," Esposito repeated. "Now!"

McCullough's good eye narrowed. He looked at the two guns aimed at him, and then at his surroundings. Castle could almost see the calculations being made in his head. McCullough moved his arms to the surrender pose and began to bend his knees, lowering the weapon to the ground. Everyone followed the movement of the gun as it was slowly set down. Suddenly, his free hand dove into his ankle.

"Second weapon!" Ryan warned.

"Don't shoot!" McCullough cried. He had already pulled whatever it was from his sock and clearly it was too small to be a gun. In fact, it didn't seem to be a weapon at all. In fact, it looked an awful lot like –

"A garage door opener?" Castle whispered incredulously. "What's that for?"

"Now then," McCullough said, straightening up. "See this?" He shook the garage door opener. "It controls a bomb. If you shoot me, I'll push the button and detonate the bomb. Got it?"

"Where's the bomb?" Ryan asked.

McCullough smiled. "On her," he said, pointing at Beckett. "Back left pocket."

"So that's why she left the courthouse with you," Castle reasoned. "You threatened to detonate a bomb?"

"Yes, very good," he replied. "I knew you'd understand." He took a few steps toward Castle. "You're the writer," he said, unnecessarily pointing at the bullet-proof vest. "I recognize you from the picture in your novels. I really enjoyed Heat Wave."

"That's how you found out about Detective Beckett," Castle said, nodding. "You read my dedication?"

"Well, it took a little more than that," McCullough replied. "But once I had her name and the precinct, it wasn't hard."

"So when you got out, you came back to the city to frame her for murder. You sent someone to The Old Haunt that night?" Castle continued. He looked sideways and caught Ryan's eye. He nodded slightly, which Castle took as a sign to keep McCullough talking.

"Right. Prison associate who owed me a favor. I would have gone myself but I think I'd have been a bit too memorable."

"So you had him slip a drug into her glass, probably GHB. Your friend takes her DNA from the glass, you mix it with some blood, you go to kill Parks, put some blood on the shirt, and wait for the cops to investigate." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ryan and Esposito, unnoticed by McCullough, exchanging significant glances. "She wakes up with no memory of what happened and you get away scot-free," Castle finished.

"Yes, yes," McCullough said dismissively. "It's all something like that. Very good. Always knew I could count on you to figure it out."

"That's enough," Esposito said. "You've got three seconds to put down that remote or I'm taking my shot. I'm aiming for your head, so chances are that by the time you can react, you'll already be dead."

"It's two against one," Ryan added, "so even if you do think your reflexes are good enough to press the detonator before my partner's bullet blasts your brains out, I'm still going to shoot that thing right out of your hand."

McCullough laughed. "I'd love to see you try."

"Now!" Esposito shouted.

Castle watched, stunned, as several things happened in quick succession. Instead of shooting, Ryan darted forward and slammed McCullough into the wall, crushing the wrist of the hand holding the detonator. He howled in pain as the detonator slipped from his useless fingers.

"Grab it, Castle!" Ryan shouted. Castle rushed forward and snatched up the garage door opener, being extremely careful not to press the button. He turned around in time to see Esposito pulling Beckett to her feet.

Ryan crouched down to pick up McCullough's gun. As he did so, McCullough slipped his hand into his jacket pocket. Castle saw the flint of metal.

"GUN!"

It was over in two seconds. Esposito raised his weapon, took aim, and fired. McCullough fell backwards, blood already pooling from the wound in his chest. Esposito stepped forward and felt for a pulse. He shook his head.

"Call it in."

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><p>Castle watched the flickering red and blue lights of the police cars and ambulance. McCullough had been pronounced dead at the scene, and Esposito's weapon had been confiscated. Ryan had gone with him to take his statement, although he assured Castle before leaving that it was a good shot and everything would be fine.<p>

Beckett was talking to Montgomery beside one of the police cars. She had reached into her back pocket as soon as he was dead, and pulled out what looked like a large magnet. She had said something about getting it to ballistics to make sure it was clean, but it was pretty clear even to Castle that there had never been any bomb. He supposed it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Hey."

He looked up to see Beckett approaching him. "Hey." He nodded toward Montgomery. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," she responded. "I should be free by tomorrow."

"Good," he said, smiling. "I never doubted you, though."

She smiled back. "Thanks." She looked at the ambulance, where the EMTs were loading the stretcher bearing McCullough's body.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Beckett turned back to him. "Sure."

"Why didn't you tell me what happened that night?"

Beckett shook her head. "I don't know, Castle." Then she sighed. "I guess I was just worried that…if I couldn't remember what happened that night, there was a chance that I actually did it."

"I know you didn't-"

"Do you?" she countered. "I told you once that there are only three people I know who could never commit murder. I never said I was on that list."

"You really think you would have killed Parks?" Castle asked. "Did he mean that much to you?"

"Jennifer did," she replied. "I never forgave myself for not helping her find closure."

Castle considered this. He thought about asking if she really hadn't known Parks was out, or if she had lied about that, too. Then he decided it didn't matter. He could rationalize what had or hadn't happened, what she had or hadn't told him or been completely truthful about, but when it was all said and done, she was alive, she was innocent, and McCullough was dead and gone.

Instead he assured her, "She wouldn't have held that against you. It wasn't your fault."

She gave a half-smile, but he could tell she didn't really believe him. "I've replayed that interrogation in my head over and over again. Maybe the judge was right, maybe I did coerce his confession."

"Don't say that," he said. "No matter what happened, you weren't responsible for her mother's death. Only Parks is responsible for that. Besides," he added, "I know she doesn't blame you."

"Oh, really?"

He smiled. "She wouldn't have given her mother's necklace to you if she did."

She smiled back and slowly moved her hand to her neck. He caught sight of her mother's ring as she pulled the necklace out from behind her shirt. He was surprised to see it was dangling next to another pendant, a small heart with a single diamond.

"Is that it?" he asked. She nodded. "It's beautiful."

She nodded again. "I know." She replaced the necklace and stood up. "Come on," she said, extending her hand to him. "Let's get out of here."

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><p><strong>AN:** Well, that's it, everyone! Thanks for reading if you got this far. I hope you enjoyed. Please review and let me know what you thought, I appreciate any and all feedback.

-holadios


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